Test links strains of common parasite to severe illness in U.S. newborns

NIH-supported research underscores value of screening for toxoplasmosis

Scientists have identified which strains of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, the cause of toxoplasmosis, are most strongly associated with premature births and severe birth defects in the United States. The researchers used a new blood test developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, to pinpoint T. gondii strains that children acquire from their acutely infected mothers while in the womb.

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This page was last updated on Friday, January 21, 2022